Figures from the ONS have found that renting in the PRS in England cost an average of £700 between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020.

The average has not been higher, the ONS reports.

The highest monthly rent was for properties with four or more bedrooms (£1,300), compared with the lowest monthly rent at £400 for single rooms.

The ONS says that rental prices tend to be higher in the East and the southern regions of England than in the Midlands and northern regions.

The median monthly rent was highest in London at £1,425; this is £525 higher than the next largest median monthly rent, which was £900 in the South East.

The median monthly rent for the North East was £495, the lowest of all regions.

The difference in monthly rental price between the most and least expensive local authorities was nearly £2,100.

Rent prices in Inner London tended to be higher than for Outer London. The median monthly rent for Inner London was £1,700, compared with £1,295 for Outer London.

Ome rental deposit replacement firm co-founder says: ‘Rental affordability remains a burning issue and one that will continue to plague the market having been greatly exacerbated by the arrival of COVID-19.

“We’ve seen tenants across the UK squeezed in recent years where the cost of living is concerned as wage growth has failed to keep pace with ever-increasing rental costs.

“However, this will have become a much bigger issue for those that now find themselves on restricted income or recently unemployed, with the cost of renting now hitting an all-time high.

“The extended eviction ban will do little to comfort those with an eye on their long-term future within the rental sector. It is likely we will see a lengthy backlog of evictions over the coming months as more and more tenants struggle financially.

“While tough, the best advice for tenants currently is to reduce their outgoings where possible, continue to maintain rental payments where they can and keep communication frequent and open with their landlord.”